The Google Pixel has truly matured into an impressive smartphone line.
After nine years and ten versions, Google’s offerings have solidified their place in the market. It’s safe to say the new Pixel 10 series represents the pinnacle of what the company has ever produced. Improvements in battery capacity, faster charging, and camera performance are evident, along with enhanced features like built-in Qi2 charging.
Making the Pixel 10 series the primary Android flagship—despite Samsung’s widespread popularity—is a game-changer. Google seems to possess unique capabilities that other brands just can’t match.
If you’re in Europe or North America hunting for a new Android flagship, check out these compelling reasons to choose Pixel phones.
Pioneering Wireless Charging
Let’s dive right into it! One of the biggest upgrades in the Pixel 10 series is its enhanced wireless charging capabilities.
The inclusion of Qi2 charging might not immediately grab your attention, but it signifies a noteworthy advancement for mobile technology. This makes Google the first to include Qi2 in its flagship phones, following HMD’s Skyline’s lead last year. All four devices in the Pixel 10 line-up now sport this feature.
What makes this significant? Here are three aspects:
- Battery charging speeds have jumped from 15W to 25W with the Pro models, making them comparable to the wired charging speeds seen in devices like the Galaxy S25.
- A nifty ring of magnets helps secure the charger in place—similar to Apple’s MagSafe setup.
- A fresh ecosystem of magnetic accessories is on the way. Google has already rolled out various charging options and cases, but this is likely just the tip of the iceberg.
Other Android manufacturers will likely embrace Qi2 soon, but Google’s already leading the charge.
Exceptional Cameras for All
Everyone loves a smartphone that can snap excellent photos, and those are in ample supply these days. However, a truly top-notch camera phone is a whole different story.
The crux of the matter hinges on consistency. Some phones excel in photography one moment, then falter spectacularly the next. Others may do well in good lighting but struggle terribly in low-light situations.
If you’re experienced with photography, you can often work around these limitations. Yet, if you just want to capture fleeting moments without fuss, reliable point-and-shoot capability is critical. Personally, I think Google excels in this area like no other brand.
In every Pixel phone I’ve tried, the camera performance has consistently impressed. The main sensor tends to stand out, and the quality of ultrawide photos is always unexpected. Plus, devices that include it also provide fantastic optical zoom and realistic portrait modes from the telephoto lens.
With five new photography features rolled out in the Pixel 10 series, it’s hard to believe any phone released in 2025 might outshine them.
The Wallet-Friendly Flagship
From my observations, the most affordable option in a flagship lineup often entails compromises that diminish its flagship status.
Take the regular Samsung Galaxy S25 or iPhone 16, for instance—solid but surely not the best bets with their limited camera capabilities and smaller batteries. No thanks!
Now, don’t get me wrong: the standard Pixel 10 marks a noticeable decrease from the Pro models, with 14 key features absent.
Nonetheless, many of those features may not be deal-breakers for the average user, even for tech enthusiasts like myself. Importantly, this year, Google has introduced a telephoto lens, enabling 5x optical zoom on the standard model. The 10.8Mp camera lens quality may not beat the 48Mp lens found on the Pro series, but the difference hardly seems drastic.
Combine that with comparable battery performance and the same Tensor G5 chip, and there are plenty of compelling reasons to consider the more affordable Pixel 10.
Exceptional Software Experience
I admit I used to question the value of Pixel’s software experience—earlier this year, I declared Samsung’s One UI 7 superior and didn’t find much to love about the early impressions of the Android 16’s renewed Material 3 Expressive design.
However, I’m finding myself leaning back towards the Pixel side. I was reminded of how nice it feels to avoid the extra bloatware prevalent on Samsung devices, and the new AI features Google introduced (like Magic Cue) genuinely look promising.
Whichever way you slice it, Pixel devices lead the fam when it comes to software. Their interface is user-friendly, straightforward, and customizable.
Reliable Updates For Years
One of Google’s strongest suits is its unwavering commitment to software updates. An unbelievable seven-year promise of OS and security updates stands unrivaled—though mid-range devices like Fairphone 6 now offer such longevity.
Opting for a Pixel spares you one of Android’s major headaches: endless delays in updates.
The new Pixel 10 phones are set to roll out with Android 16 onboard, with even its predecessor running earlier versions of the same.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Support for other Pixel devices will follow soon, but how long will it take for your Samsung, OnePlus, or Xiaomi to catch up? The wait could stretch from weeks to months, particularly for older or budget units.
We’ve even seen Google release a new Android version before many eligible phones have received the last one! If you go with Pixel, those worries disappear.
Though Google hasn’t matched Samsung in market dominance yet, picking a new Android flagship these days? It’s clear that a Pixel phone is the way to go.
Check out more news and insights about the Pixel 10 phones in our dedicated 2025 Google Event page.
